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PC Lewis, who has been a police officer for five years, said: "A big part of my job, and the job of all Met officers, is remembering faces and names, and all the small details that could make the difference in a case.

"When I first encountered Ruskuls he was very unnerving, and I will never forget that meeting. So when I first saw the CCTV of this appalling attack, something about the suspect's appearance and body type was instantly familiar and I knew that it was the same person.

"I am just glad I was able to play a small part in bringing a dangerous offender to justice, and do my job effectively."

Pardeep Kaur was reported missing on October 17

The Homicide team reviewed footage from the police van used to transport Ruskuls home and identified him as the same man in the CCTV.

He was wanted for murder and enquires were underway to locate and arrest him.

On Monday, October 31, 2016 Ruskuls was arrested on suspicion of murder and charged three days later , with a further charge of preventing lawful burial.

His DNA matched samples of several items of Pardeep’s clothing, as well as a black sock found nearby in the undergrowth.

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Detective Inspector Jamie Stevenson, from the Met’s Homicide and Major Crime Command, said: “This has been a truly shocking and horrendous case and Ruskuls has proved himself to be a violent and dangerous rapist and murderer.

"Pardeep was walking to work, as she did every day, when she suffered a horrific fate at the hands of Ruskuls, who sexually attacked and killed his defenceless victim before leaving her body in woodland. It is everybody's worst nightmare.

"Enquiries quickly led police to Ruskuls, and one of my officers was able to identify him from blurry CCTV footage of the attack taken from a distance.

"Ruskuls now faces a significant period behind bars, and I hope that this verdict allows Pardeep's family to grieve and eventually come to terms with what has happened to this loving wife and mother."

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